David Dahl Injury: Updates on Rockies Prospect's Recovery from Spleen Surgery

Scott PolacekMay 28, 2015

Colorado Rockies outfielder prospect David Dahl was injured after an on-field collision while chasing a fly ball that resulted in the removal of his spleen, via Jerry Crasnick of ESPN. Dahl

Continue for updates.

Dahl Comments on Recovery

Tuesday, June 2

Dahl spoke optimistically on Twitter about his recovery, saying, "Hoping to be back on the field doing what I love soon!"

"David has put in an incredible amount of work the last two offseasons, and he just couldn't fathom the idea of a shortened season," Dahl's agent, Adam Karon, said on June 1 following surgery, per Crasnick. "That's what I think drove his thinking.

"A normal person would just leave the spleen in. But for an athlete, there's an additional risk of the spleen rupturing again in a collision. David said, 'I can't play the rest of my career worrying about this, and I don't want to miss any more time this year than I have to.'"

Here is a highlight of the collision between Dahl and second baseman Juan Ciriaco, per MiLB.com:

Any injury is worrisome, but this is particularly difficult for the Rockies. Baseball America ranked Dahl as the No. 1 prospect in Colorado’s system before the season started, and his expected development is one reason to be excited about what is to come for Rockies fans.

Colorado selected Dahl with the No. 10 pick in the 2012 draft. He only played in 10 games in 2013 because of injuries and a disciplinary suspension, but he seemed to find his stroke at the plate in 2014 and for stretches of the 2015 campaign.

Now he will lose more time due to injury, which marks the second time in two years. Even the most talented prospects in baseball need seasoning before they can be expected to deliver at the Major League level, which means Dahl is somewhat behind schedule with this latest setback, even if he is still 21 years old.

All hope is certainly not lost, but Colorado isn’t set to contend this season (it sat in last place in the National League West when Dahl hurt himself). All it has is the future, and it needs a healthy Dahl to be a major part of it.